A Widow’s Child, A Wife’s Goodbye

I shut down my computer. “A friend.”

He lingered, watching me. I was too calm—no teasing smile, no familiar gesture of reaching for him. I stayed where I was, distant in a way he wasn’t used to.

“She told me she’s pregnant,” I went on, my voice steady, “but she just found out her husband is cheating. Another woman is pregnant too. She can’t decide whether to pretend nothing happened or confront him and ask for a divorce.”

Something subtle shifted in Daniel’s gaze.

“I told her to leave,” I said simply. “Take the child and disappear. Don’t argue. Don’t negotiate. A man who cheats has already made his choice. Silence is the only response he doesn’t control.”

For a brief moment, panic crossed his face.

Then he studied me more carefully, as if weighing every word, until he convinced himself I was only talking about someone else.

He relaxed.

Stepping closer, he patted my back gently. “Don’t get so worked up, sweetheart. That’s your friend’s husband. Not me.”

He smiled. “You’re right though. A cheating man is stupid. Completely unforgivable.”

“I would never be that kind of man,” he added quickly. “My heart and my body belong only to you. I swear it on my rank.”

I looked at him, at the certainty in his eyes, and felt something bitter rise in my chest.

“Daniel,” I said softly, “I believe you’re sincere right now. But who can promise the future? Temptations are everywhere.”

He laughed lightly. “You are my temptation.”

Then, more solemnly, “If I ever betray you, strip me of my rank. Let me die on the battlefield and lose you forever.”

I forced a small smile. “I was just speaking hypothetically.”

He reached out and ruffled my hair affectionately. “Don’t overthink things. We’ve been together for so many years. You know how much I love you.”

He pulled me into his arms.

The embrace felt the same as always—protective, possessive.

But the warmth was gone.

All I felt was irony.

Daniel handed me the milk. “Drink it while it’s warm.”

“I will,” I said, setting it aside.

When he turned away, I quietly poured it into the flowerpot by the window.

Later, just like every other night, he held me as we lay down. I slowed my breathing, letting my body go slack, pretending sleep came easily.

In the second half of the night, the bedroom door opened again.

Daniel slipped out.

I waited a moment, then followed.

From the shadow of the courtyard, I watched him cross the stones and stop before the neighboring building. He rang the bell. It opened almost at once.

Eleanor stood there in a thin satin slip, her arms wrapping around him the instant she saw his face.

“Daniel,” she murmured, pressing close, “you’re late tonight. An hour later than usual.”

She smiled, soft and intimate.

“The baby and I were starting to get impatient.”

Daniel’s expression hardened.

“This can’t keep happening,” he said quietly. “I won’t be able to come every night. You need to learn to stay by yourself.”

Her smile faltered.

“Our relationship cannot be discovered,” he continued, his voice firm. “If Margaret finds out—if you make a mistake—I will end this immediately.”

I already knew the truth.

But seeing it with my own eyes still crushed the air from my lungs.

Eleanor pouted, her lips trembling. “I know,” she said quickly. “Of course I know. I’ll be careful.”

She lowered her voice. “But I can’t help missing you. You know I live here alone. I get scared.”

Her eyes filled, tears spilling just enough to look helpless.

“I’m pregnant,” she added softly. “My emotions change so easily. Are you going to blame me for wanting you?” She looked up at him, clinging to his sleeve. “My Captain Daniel Hawthorne.”

Daniel closed his eyes briefly, as if weighing something he already knew he would lose.

“…All right,” he said at last. “I understand.”

Relief flashed across her face.

She reached behind her and pulled out a small bag. The soft clink of metal, the glimpse of restraints and candles inside, left no room for misunderstanding.

Daniel’s gaze darkened.

“You little temptress,” he said under his breath, half a warning, half surrender.

The next second, he lifted her into his arms.

The door closed.

I stood there long after, unable to move, my heart breaking in a way that felt quiet, final, and irreversible.